Straight bar knitting machine



Feb. 12, 1952 J LYNAM ET AL 2,585,804

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor;

By awwa Feb. 12, 1952 J. E. LYNAM ET AL 2,585,804

I STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M 2 lnvenlic-lk By W W WM 2 J. E. LYNAM ET AL 2,585,304

\\ STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. '23, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 F/G4. 5 O

Inventor;

9 94.04,: w-M M M4 6 F 1952 J. E. LYNAM ET AL 2,585,804

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1949 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 12 1952 A I E-g.

TR IGH fiassasin BAR KNITTING MACHINE IldwaidILynam and Leonard BrownyNot-" ".tingham, England, assignors to William Cotton land- Limited, Loughborough, Leicestershire, Eng-f ica asreb ry 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,836

a InQGreat Britain February 21, 1,948

This invention concerns 'straight-bar knitting machines organized for the production-of ladderresistant knitted fabric of the type wherein'loops are passed through and closely around other loops. Such fabric is described and claimed in British patent specifications 329;098-and 422,779.,

9 Claims. (o1. (as-s2) and British patent specification 527,234 (United apparatus whereby the requisite motions may be imparted to the two 'sets of needles. I

' The invention therefore provides a straight bar knitting machine organized for the production of ladder-resistant fabric of the type specified, having two needle bars keyed together for relative movement in the direction of 'the length of the needle stems, separate means for imparting said movement to each bar; and'common means for imparting movement transversely of-the'length of the needle stems to both bars in unison. 7 An advantage of this arrangement, in addition to its simplicity, is that the movements of the two sets of needles are facilitated; moreover the arrangement permits one set of needles readily to' be brought to a lowered inoperative position while plain fabric is being knitted on the upper set of needles without it being necessary "to employ sinkers having nebs that are'longer than is customary in straightbar knitting machines 'organg ized for knitting plain fabric.

Preferably the needle bar operating means comprises one set of cams which are operative while ladder-resistant fabric is being produced and an alternative set of cams which are operative while plain (i.'e. unlocked) fabric is being produced. The machine may also have the features set out in the co-pending' patent applications Serial Numbers 24,354, 43,834, and 44,184.

The above and other features or the invention are set forth in the appended claims and are disclosed in the detailed description given by way of example, of the particular embodiment-illustrated in the accompanying drawings in'which:

Figure 1 is a general sectional view of a-machine incorporating two needle bars and-operating mechanism according to this invention.'-

Figure 2 is a detail view of'one of the-needle bars and operating mechanism shown in Figure -1 and, inparticular, shows the commo'nmeans for from the presser. g i Figure 3 is a detail View of the other needle bar and operating mechanism shown in Figure ,1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross needle bar mountings.

"both sets of needles in a direction to and from moving both bars in unison towards andaway sectional .view of 2 I Figure 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of part of- Figure'l lookingLin the direction of the arrow X in Figure l (and may be'considered as showing the needle barsin a representative'section or division of a multi-section machine) and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view-:of 'one end of the needle bars; I i

The machine illustrated isorganized for the production of fabric of the type specified and in the manner described with reference to'Figures '18 to 26 of British patent specificationfiNo. 527,234 (and of United States Patent specification No. 2,312,903) andaccordingto the. present invention the two needle bars are keyedutogether for relative movement in the dire'ction of the length of the needle stems, separate means being provided for imparting said movement to each bar, and common means beingprovided for imparting movement transversely of the-length of the needle stems to both bars in unison; "Forthis purpose the rear needle bar I carrying needlesf (Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6) is provided with a pair of vertical guideways 3 (constituting-afemale part) for the reception of a pair of slide members 4 (constituting a malepart) depending from the front needle bar 5. These parts 3"a nd' d -permit of relative movement between the twoneedle bars 7 in the direction of the length of the'needle stems but they key the two bars together-so that they move in unison towards and 'away' fromthe presser 53. The two-bars are shown separately in Figures 2-and 3 and are 'shown intheir'opcrating position (whereat' the slide members 4 are guided in the g-uidewaysii); in Figures 1, 4, -5 and 6. The needle bar 5 is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis 6 for inspection or repair purposes, said axle 6 being carried by lugs l adjustably carried-by the slide-"members 4*; the needle bar is releasably held in its operative position by means of thumb screws 9 co-Operating with it and'with fixed end plates l0-(Figures'4 and 5). For the purpose of irnparting vertical motion to the needle bar 5 the slide members l are provided at their lower ends with rearwardly extended bifurcated lugs H 'which' embrace square spindles l2 freely rotatable inthe rear ends of arms l3 fixed to a shaft [4 by bo1ts l5 (Figures 3 and 5); The shaft M has also fixed to it a rocker armlfi having a truck ll' at its the presser, the needle bar I has' fixed to i-t-an arm 3i to the lower end of which a-h'and -lever 32 is pivotally connected at --5 l;' this hand lever is formed :with notches 33-co-operating'with a peg 34 projecting laterally from an'arm 35 fixed to a shaft 36 and also fixed to the shaft 36 there is a truck arm 31 which carries a truck 38 cooperating with a cam 39 fixed on the main cam shaft I9. effect the desired motions particularly by parts 40 to 44 thereof as hereinafter more fully explained.

This cam 39 is suitably shaped to For the purpose of imparting vertical motion to the needle bar I the said bar is pivotally connected at its lower end, at 55, .to a pairof rocking arms 45 which are freely mounted on the shaft I4. Also freely mounted on this shaft I4 there is a truck arm 46 which is keyed to the rocker arms 45 by a key 4'! (Figure 5) and which carries at itslower end a, truck 48 co-operating with a I cam 49 on the main shaft .I;9. 'The cam 49 is level than those of the front set. The needles 8 of the front set of course produce the'main loops and the needles 2 of the rear set produce the locking loops.

The aforesaid cam 3.3 serves to rock the shaft 36 which is the press shaft and the latter,

. through the lever, 35. hand lever 32 and arm 3|,

causes the two needle'bars I and 5 to be rocked their beards of course are located at a lower about their pivotalconnections I2, 55 with the horizontal levers I3 and before mentioned so that movement of both sets of needles 2 and 8 towards and away from the presser 53 is produced.

It will be appreciated that because of the independent up-andedown movement of the two needle bars I and 5, the pivotal connections I2, 55 will not have a common axis at all times. Furthermore the hand lever 32 is capable of being disconnected from the press lever 35 (and consequently from the truck arm 31) in the, usual manner so that the needle bars may be swung in unisonaway from the presser and this movement also taking place about the said pivotal connections,

It. is in order to permit of those pivotal movements at phases in the knitting cycle when the pivotal connections do not have a common axis, that the substantially horizontal levers I3 for the front bar are pivotally connected to the bar 5 through the medium of v the bifurcated lugs II which are slidable horizontally on the squaredaxles I2 carried by levers Another set of cams adjacent to cams I8, 39 and 49 may be provided for the truck levers I5, 31 and 46 and these cams are operative while plain (unlocked) fabric is being produced by for example shogglng the trucks or the cam shaft by shagging means 60', BI shown in broken lines. Those cams of the second set which operate,

through the levers 46 for up-and-down movement of the rear needles 2, are so formed that during plain knitting the saidrear set of needles occupies a lower inoperative position and does not have up-and-down movements imparted to r it. The other cams either have one half of their peripheries plain and the other half like the plain stitch parts of the lockingcams I8, 39 and 49, or they have such plain stitch parts on each half so that two courses of stitches are produced for each revolution of the cams. The arrangement of these cams isas described incopending patent application Serial No. 43,834, and in Fig. 3 they are indicated at 60; the shogging mechanism is of the conventional form inherent in all straight bar knitting machines.

The following conjoint movements are imparted to the two needle bars I and 5 by the appropriate cams in order to produce ladderresistant fabric of the type referred to.

From a previous fully lowered knocking-over position of the front bar 5 said bar is raised to its fullest extent in order to have a main yarn fed to its needles while the rear needle bar I is at a lower level. While still maintaining the rear bar I in a lowered position, the front bar is next lowered until the new loops on the needles are behind the beards and then the bar is advanced in a longitudinal direction towards a presser so that the beards are closed by the presser (cam 39, part 40). Further lowering of the bar 5 follows so that the old loops are landed (cam I8, parts 20, 2]) on the beards and still further lowering takes place, combined with a retracting movement in a horizontal direction, to its lowest position thereby knocking over (cam I8, part 22 and cam 49, part 58) the new loops. At this stage both bars are advanced (cam 39, part 4|) to engage the loops with the knockingover bits. Next, both needle bars I and 5 are raised (cam I8, part 23 and cam 49, part I50) and during such movement the upper ends of the needles of bar I are pressed (either by horizontal movement of the bars to auxiliary presser means or by movement of auxiliary presser means to the needles) into grooves in the shanks of the needles of bar 5 so that the last loops to be formed (and hereinafter referred to as plain loops) are pierced by said needles of bar I (cam I8, part 24 and cam 49, part I55). Both needle bars. continue to be raised (cam I8, part 25 and cam 49,- part I52) to their highest positions whereat a locking yarn is fed and sunk around the shanks of both needles. Both needle bars are then lowered (cam I8, part 26, cam 43, part I53) and advanced horizontally so that the beards of the bar I are pressed (cam 39, part 42) when the said locking yarn is behind the beards of the needles of bar I. Further lowering of both bars follows so that the plain loops are landed on said beards and are eventually knocked over the beards and over the locking yarn so that looking loops are formed of said locking yarn (cam I8, part 28 and cam 49, part 5|). Both the bars are then again raised together to their highest positions with the locking loops around the shanks of both sets of needles and with the said plain loops behind the needles of bar I but around the shanks of bar 5. Both bars are then again lowered (cam I8,'part 29, cam 53, part I54) and advanced horizontally so that the beards of the bar I are pressed (cam 39, part 42) to permit the locking loops being knocked over the needles of barI onto the needles of bar5 and the relative lowering movement of the two bars is such that at the said knock-over the locking loops are knocked over .onto the beards of the needles of bar 5 while the said plain loops are behind the said beards. Both bars are then lowered to their lowest position whereat the locking loops are knocked over the needles of bar 5 and then extend through and around the said plain loops (cam I8, part 30, cam 49, part 52). The bars are finally advanced to engage the loops with the knocking-over bits (cam 39, part 44). When plain (unlocked) loops only are to be formed (under control of the appropriate cams) therear needle bar I is maintained ata lower inactive level while the front needle bar 5 is first raised to its highest position for a new thread to be fed to the needles, then lowered down to knockover, and during such lowering movement both bars are advanced horizontally so that the beards of the bar 5 are pressed in customary manner.

We claim:

1. A straight bar knitting machine organised for the production of ladder resistant fabric of the type comprising successive ground courses of plain loops whereof the loops of each ground course are drawn through the plain loops of the preceding course, and associated courses of locking loops which look the plain loops, the locking loops being passed through and closely around the plain loops so that the legs of the plain loops are encircled by coils of the locking loops having two needle bars keyed together for relative move- I ment in the direction of the length of the needle stems each of which needle bars is equipped with the said needles and the needles in one bar being located with their stems in front of and aligned with the stems of the needles of the other bar and with their hooks disposed in the same direction, separate means for imparting said movement to each bar, and common means for imparting movement transversely of the length of the needle stems to both bars in unison.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the needle bars constitute front and rear bars, one of which bars has at least one male part slidable vertically in a female part of the other bar, and wherein the said separate means consists of separate cam operated lever mechanisms which are pivotally connected respectively to the needle bars, and wherein the said common means consists of further cam operated lever mechanism connected to one of the bars, preferably the front needle bar.

3. In a straight bar knitting machine organised for the production of ladder resistant fabric of the type consisting of ordinary stitch loops and locking loops passed through-and closely around said ordinary loops, and having a presser, the combination of front and rear needle bars equipped with bearded needles whereof the stems of the needles in one bar are in alignment behind the stems of the needles in the other bar, all the beards are presented rearwards, and the beards of the needles of the front bar are above the heads of the needles of the rear bar, means keying the bars together for relative movement in the direction of the length of the needle stems but inhibiting relative movement transversely of said length, separate mechanisms for imparting to each bar movements in the direction of the length of the needle stems, and a common mechanism for imparting movements transversely of the needle stems to both bars in unison, which separate and common mechanisms include means for operating the front bar in the production of the ordinary stitch loops and the rear bar in the production of the locking loops.

4. In a machine according to claim 3, means for operating the front bar to produce plain. unlocked, fabric and for rendering the rear bar inoperative.

5. In a straight bar knitting machine organized for the production of non-resistant fabric of the type comprising successive-ground courses of plain loops whereof the loops of each ground course are drawn through the plain loops of the preceding ground course, and. associated courses of locking loops which look the plain loops, the

locking loops being passed through and closely around the plain loops so that the legs of the plain loops are encircled by'coils of the locking loops, and having front and rear needle bars, hooked needles in one bar for knitting the plain loops and hooked needles in the other bar for knitting the locking loops, said needles in the front bar being aligned in front of the needles of the other bar and all the needles having their hooks directed towards the rear, the combination of means keying the two bars together for relative movement in the direction of the length of the needles, cam-operated lever mechanisms, one for each bar, for efiecting said movements in the production of plain loops on the needles of one bar and locking loops on the needles of the other bar, pivotal connecting means for conmeeting said mechanisms to the respective bars, common operating means, comprising further cam-operated lever mechanism connected to one bar, for imparting movement transversely of the length of the needles to both bars in unison, and manually-operable means for effecting simultaneous pivotal movement of both bars in a direction transverse to the length of the needles.

6. A machine according to claim 5, having manually-operable means for swinging the front bar away from the rear bar.

7. A machine according to claim 5, having manually-operable means for swinging the front bar out of operative position, away from the rear bar, and readily-releasable means for locking the front bar in operative position.

8. A machine according to claim 5, having a cam and a truck lever connected to the rear needle bar for imparting to it motion lengthwise of the needles, a cam and a truck lever connected to the rear needle bar for imparting to both bars motion transverse to the length of the needles, and mechanism for imparting to the front needle bar motion lengthwise of the needles whichmechanism comprises a pair of substantially-horizontal rock arms connected to said front bar, a truck lever for rocking said arms, and a cam for rocking the truck lever.

9. A machine according to claim 8 having a truck on each truck lever, two alternative sets of cams one set for imparting the requisite movements to the needle bars for producing the runresistant fabric and the other set for imparting to the front bar, without movement of the rear bar in the direction of the length of the needles, movements requisite for producing plain fabric on the needles of the front bar, each alternative set comprising an alternative cam for each truck lever, and means for effecting relative shogging movement between the trucks and the cams and for thereby changing over between the two sets, thereby to produce run-resistant or plain fabric at will.

JOHN EDWARD LYNAM. LEONARD BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,968,162 Nebel July 31, 1934 2,312,903 Hirt et a1. Mar. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 604,654 Germany Oct. 29, 1934 

